Women Innovating Food

The gender gap is pervasive across the food industry. Women make the majority of food-purchasing decisions and represent nearly half the entry-level workforce in the food industry, yet less than a fourth of executives are women and even fewer are women of color. Women are less likely to raise capital and start food companies than men. Beyond the lack of financial support is a widespread lack of recognition and respect, which at times can go so far as sexual harassment and abuse. What can be done to move forward and uplift the women who are transforming our food system?

Join us for a discussion on the unique ways women are transforming our food system with Elly Truesdell of Canopy Foods, Valerie Christy of Almanac Insights, Jessamyn Rodriguez of Hot Bread Kitchen and Kimberly Chou of Equity at the Table & Food Book Fair.

Come network with the community and enjoy food and drinks from women-owned businesses, including: Zaam Root, The White Moustache, Eat Offbeat, Mohawk Drumlin Creamery, Sun for Soul, Pilot Kombucha, NYrture, Aida and Ulli’s Oil Mill!

Are you a female or gender non-conforming innovator? Add your name to the list: http://bit.ly/womxninfood

SCHEDULE:
6:30pm – 7:30pm: Networking, Snacks + Drinks
7:30pm – 9pm: Roundtable
9pm-9:30pm: Networking, Snacks + Drinks

PANELISTS:
Elly Truesdell, Chief Strategy Officer, Canopy Foods
Elly Truesdell is Chief Strategy Officer of Canopy Foods, a Food Production Studio that offers manufacturing services and creative capital to craft unforgettable foods and build defensible brands. Truesdell built her career over 9 years at Whole Foods Market. Most recently as Global Director of Local Brands, Product Innovation & Development, Elly led strategic partnerships for local purchasing programs across the company. She offers expertise in brand development, food trends and product innovation, grown from nine years of leadership in buying and marketing at Whole Foods. Elly holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Media Studies from the University of Virginia, and moved into the food industry after volunteering on an organic vegetable farm, in Sudbury, Massachusetts. She sits on the Board of Canopy Foods, as a mentor to FOOD-X and the Chobani Food Incubator and acts as advisor to Agbotic, and Wellness in the Schools.

Valerie Christy, Senior Associate, Almanac Insights
Valerie Christy is a Senior Associate at Almanac.  After initially enrolling in the Blue Hill at Stone Barns FARMS Program in 2014, she continued to manage special projects at Blue Hill, ranging from the launch of Blue Hill’s first nationally distributed CPG product to Blue Hill’s wastED pop-ups in both New York and London. Through managing Blue Hill Yogurt—a line of savory, 100% grass-fed yogurts—Valerie experienced firsthand both the opportunities and the challenges facing early-stage food and beverage companies. Valerie launched Almanac in January 2018 with David Barber.

Jessamyn Rodriguez, Founder & CEO, Hot Bread Kitchen
Jessamyn Waldman Rodriguez is an entrepreneur and leader in the social enterprise movement. Before launching Hot Bread Kitchen, Jessamyn focused on human rights, education and immigration issues in positions at NGOs, the government and the United Nations. After receiving her Master Baker Certificate from the New School and becoming the first female baker at Daniel Boulud’s eponymous restaurant, she launched Hot Bread from her home kitchen in 2007. Jessamyn has received numerous awards and accolades, including the Global Citizen Award from the Clinton Global Initiative and Crain’s New York’s “40 Under 40.” She was named a 2016 Women of Influence by NY Business Journal and one of 2015’s “Most Innovative Women in Food” by Food & Wine and Fortune magazines. Jessamyn is the author of The Hot Bread Kitchen Cookbook, published by Clarkson Potter and named Yahoo Food’s Best Cookbook of the Year in 2015.

Kimberly Chou, Co-Director, Food Book Fair; Advisory Board Member, Equity at the Table
Kimberly Chou Tsun An is a writer, curator and event producer who lives in New York. Her writing — from interviews with rapper Nicki Minaj and painter Ellsworth Kelly to literary criticism — has appeared in publications including The Wall Street Journal, Refinery29, and Art in America. She co-directs Food Book Fair, a festival that explores contemporary issues in and around food, with an emphasis on amplifying the voices of women of color and queer folks in media.

MODERATOR:
Danielle Gould, Founder & CEO, Food+Tech Connect; Co-Founder & Co-CEO, Alpha Food Labs

HOST:

Kickstarter is a funding platform for creative projects. We are an independent, founder-controlled company of 132 people working together in an old pencil factory in New York City. Over 10 million people, from every continent on earth, have backed a Kickstarter project from films, games, and music to art, design, and technology. To date, tens of thousands of creative projects — big and small — have come to life with the support of the Kickstarter community.

SPONSORS:

Like our namesake borough, the Brooklyn Brewery is made up of a rich collection of characters from all over the world. In our Williamsburg home, these characters are dedicated to brewing and selling great beer and enriching the communities we serve. Together, these Brooklyners have assembled the skills needed to transform a home brewing hobby into an independent brewery with a brand that has become an international beacon for good beer.